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Abstract

A communication protocol, designed for centralized power line networks, provides a solution for: automatic network mapping and adaptive routing, for automatic log-on of remote nodes and also for optimization of communication routes and control of the traffic volume. A Central Unit (CU) permanent polls all the known Remote Nodes (RN) and a polled RN replies with a message. A new Remote Node (RN), which hears any polling command from the CU, transmits a Burst Log-On Message direct to the CU. A new RN, which hears a reply of polled RN, but not the polling message itself, transmits a Burst Log-On Message, using the replying RN as a relay. There maybe a route of several relays between the new RN and the CU and all of them are registered in the Log On message itself. When the CU receives the message from the new RN, it performs a log on of the RN, stores its route, and starts to poll it. This process continues all the time, enabling an addition of new nodes. RN with no communication behaves as a new one and creates a new route, when the previous is no more available. A permanent improving of the existing routes is achieved by using a special field in a message, that indicates the time the message has already traveled via the network. This field is incremented by each relay on the route, and further used by each RN, which hears the message, to improve its route to the CU. The criteria used by RN is the less the time--the better the route. For data, such as a power demand, which is a function of time and should cover all the day, the quantity of data depends on the resolution in use. The system always tries to achieve the highest possible resolution, but if the collection cycle is too long, and the transmitted data doesn't cover the required period of time, the resolution and the quantity of data are automatically reduced to provide a continuous coverage of time.

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First Claim